What would you do if confronted with choices such as these on a menu:

(1) Desire: velvety Manjari chocolate mousse with vanilla crème brulee, crunchy feuilletine and French griottine cherries on a chocolate sponge.

(2) Mysterious: passion fruit with hazelnut cream filled with spiced diced pineapple.

Jin Patisserie in Venice Beach has even more tempting delicacies. Hidden in a quiet Zen-inspired garden, you can have high tea or lunch, which if you are very naughty, will include one or more of the pastries on the menu.

• Vibe: quiet garden with bamboo trees and little tables, perfect for lunch or afternoon tea.

• Pros: the most tempting, unusual pastries this side of Los Angeles, good sandwiches (prosciutto, smoked salmon, cucumber-gruyere); a quiet civilized place in the midst of the Abbott Kinney neighborhood.

• Cons: the worst place to discuss health issues, such as cholesterol levels and the epidemic of obesity around the world.

Jin Patisserie
1202 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice Beach, California
+1 310 399 8801
Creative, unusual pastries
www.jinpatisserie.com

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Check out my list of favorite restaurants in Los Angeles.